Mr. Vaneasked the Minister of Agriculture what was the urgency necessitating the recent circulation of all occupiers of agricultural land with Form R.49 instead of asking for the information with the periodical returns; and what consultations took place with the Central Landowners' Association and National Farmers' Union before the forms were sent out in order to ensure that the purpose of this return should be understood and hence more complete and accurate information obtained.
Mr. T. WilliamsThe purpose of the special inquiry on form R.49 was to obtain, at the suggestion of the National Farmers' Union, additional information about the rents of agricultural holdings which was considered to be essential for the purposes of the annual review of the economic condition and prospects of the agricultural industry that is required to be held early in 1950 under the provisions of Section 2 of the Agriculture Act, 1947. The inquiry was not incorporated in an ordinary quarterly return because it is addressed only to the 140,000 occupiers of over 50 acres, and there was no need to trouble the remaining 230,000.
Before the form was issued, consultations took place with the Agricultural Statistics Advisory Committee appointed under Section 77 of the Agriculture Act, 1947. That committee includes representatives of landowners and farmers as well as of persons employed in agriculture.